Thomson had 14 tonight, not great but when only 3 of 22 players manage to break 20 and none broke 25, I'd take that.
Jackson didn't break 25 because he spent the last 15 minutes of the match on the bench after that knock, and really RT, with Cousins obviously unfit/sick/whatever and Deledio, they were our only AFL standard and fitness mids.
Thomson is in a category well below that and 14 possessions for the amount of time he spent on the ball is not a pass - in combination with others not getting their hands on the footy, it's what leads to Carlton dominating the centre.
People are down on Connors for not being better coming into his fourth year in the system, but he's ahead of Thomson who's had six years. Connors can actually get to enough contests and win enough ball to rack up 20+ possessions and do a lot more with them than Thomson ever will.
Thomson had 4 clearances tonight, you trying to tell me Tuck would get 16 per game.
No, but I'd be surprised if Thomson averaged much more than a quarter of what Tuck gets a game, particularly when you include the non-stat earning bodywork Tuck does to get others clearances. It's like comparing a wrecking ball to a tonka bulldozer.
Clangers tonight 0. Given he was at the bottom of packs on numerous occassions battling for the ball I'd forgive him not hitting a teammate on the chest with every touch.
He had 50% efficiency...as I'm sure you know.

Seven actually effective disposals in other words, five of them handballs. As I said, he may well have
a bit of improvement left in him, but look at the low base he's starting from.
How do you know he has no improvement left?
I said "it's not like we're blooding a kid with massive amounts of improvement left here" - not anything resembling me saying he had "no improvement left."
I just don't think he has enough improvement left in him to be going leaving our no.1 ballwinner out for him. He's never once even dominated with a stack of possessions for Coburg has he?
On the flip side, Tuck will be 29 at seasons end and would have next to no chance of being part of our next finals side, given that we're at least 3 years away from finals.
Tuck was a late starter to AFL and he's among the most durable footballers the modern game has seen. Playing until he's 33-34 with the same output as now is hardly out of the question given his genes.
I was embarrassed watching Cousins in his current state getting a game ahead of Tuck, apparently on the basis that Tuck's too old to play in our next finals side...but we have different rules for a half-fit Cousins (the imagination really does run wild after seeing the state he was in tonight)?
Very poor from Hardwick and the selection committee IMO.